Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Filipe Neto In this film, a crime is committed by the most unsuspecting individual: the barber. I already knew the Coen brothers' taste for black humor, evident in "Fargo", which was their first movie I watched. In this film, the humorous and almost sarcastic tone is still present, although its sometimes subtle and mixed with social criticism. Ed wasn't the "man who was not there" because he was a barber, but because society never gave him importance or noticed his existence. His profession ends up becoming a symbol of this. The story is set in the 1950s, so it plays with the ideas and mentality of the time, especially the exaggerated belief in extraterrestrials, just as it makes little allusions to the cinematic aesthetics of that era (B movies, sci-fi, cinema noir). Cinematography helped a lot at this point, with an elegant black and white, balanced tones and nice contrast.Regarding the actors, Billy Bob Thornton is to be congratulated because he has disengaged himself in this challenge with praises. Ed is one of a few people with few sayings and an unimpressive attitude, and the actor's performance, ranging from slightly funny to slightly scary, was very good, set in a gigantic physical and expressive self-control. On the opposite side is Michael Badalucco, in a histrionic and talkative character, where the actor was excellent. Frances McDormand was also fine, especially when she split the screen with Billy Bob, and James Gandolfini did what was expected of him. Scarlett Johansson did quite well in a character who is only innocent in appearance. Finally, a note of appreciation for the soundtrack, where classic works for piano are abundant.

seymourblack-1 Aficionados of classic film noir will find this 21st century evocation of the style absolutely captivating right from the start as stunning cinematography, an uneasy atmosphere and a plot in which adultery, blackmail and murder are featured, all provide early indications of how meticulously the look and content of the piece have been created. Its story about a man who makes an error of judgement that sends his life into a downward spiral will, of course, be familiar to noir fans but in this case, the adverse consequences are so far-reaching that they also go on to devastate the lives of a number of other key characters as well.Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is the laconic, chain-smoking, barber with a blank stare who mans the second chair at his brother-in-law's hairdressing business in Santa Rosa, California in 1949. His reticence and apparent lack of enthusiasm also spill over into his personal life where he seems to derive no joy from the parties or bingo sessions that he attends with his wife Doris (Frances McDormand) who's a heavy drinker and works as a bookkeeper at the town's largest department store (Nirdlinger's). She and her boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini) who married into the business and claims to have been a war hero, have been having an affair for some time.One day, at the barber's shop, near closing time, a stranger called Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito) calls by for a haircut and after removing his toupee, tells Ed that he's trying to set up a dry-cleaning business which is guaranteed to be profitable but he needs a silent partner and $10,000 capital to go ahead with the project. After giving the matter some thought, Ed successfully raises the money by blackmailing his wife's lover and immediately passes the cash on to Tolliver.From that point on, things go from bad to worse as Ed realises he's been scammed, kills Big Dave in self defence and sees Doris arrested for murder and cooking the books at Nirdlinger's. The numerous developments that follow are full of wonderful twists, black humour and tragedy and lead inexorably to the story's deeply ironic conclusion.In typical Coen Brothers' style, the movie's characters are full of interesting eccentricities, the dialogue is smart and succinct and there are also a couple of entertaining subplots involving UFOs and Ed's fascination with a teenage piano player called Birdy (Scarlett Johansson). Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of Ed Crane is flawless as he manages to make his difficult character very real and convincing. The supporting players are also terrific, especially Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini and Tony Shalhoub who plays a high-powered defence lawyer whose considerable talent in only surpassed in magnitude by his incredible arrogance.

Andy Jackson The Coen Brothers don't make bad original films, some of them are not as strong as others, but they all have well crafted interesting scripts, usually involving someone ordinary getting themselves involved in something criminal, usually with devastating results and some macabre humour just to keep things relatable.The Man Who Wasn't There is a great film, beautifully shot with every frame being meticulously crafted and iconic. Ed the Barber utters few words throughout the entire film yet he steals every scene with his 50s style film star stares and constant smoking. The smoke is one of the best actors in the whole thing, adding layers of movement to every black and white frame.The plot does get a little predictable at times, but this doesn't detract from a solid interesting piece of cinema, and the whole thing is peppered with Coen Brother traits which make it a must see for any fan of their work, and maybe even a good place to start for any Coen virgins.This is one that does improve with subsequent viewings, but might be a little slow paced for someone looking for more popcorn drama, there are some tense moments, but overall this is a character study through a 50s noir pallet.Worth a watch

namashi_1 The Coen Bros are amongst the most talented & influential filmmakers working in filmdom today & I expected 'The Man Who Wasn't There' to be a yet another stunner by the Oscar-Winners. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. Its An Average Fare, that relies on a story that's predicable. 'The Man Who Wasn't There' Synopsis: A laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss & lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong.'The Man Who Wasn't There' offers nothing new to the genre of neo-noir. I was engrossed, but only in parts, particularly in the first-hour, which offers some very interesting sequences. But, the second-hour, is a complete misfire. Also, the lethargic pacing acts as a deterrent. The Coen Bros certainly aren't in their elements this time around. Their Screenplay has a few impressive moments, but otherwise, its predictable. Joel Coen's Direction, however, is atmospheric. Cinematography is excellent. Editing is not crisp enough. Art Design is fabulous.Performance-Wise: Billy Bob Thornton delivers a believable performance. Frances McDormand is fantastic. She's the real scene-stealer here! The Late/Great James Gandolfini shines in a brief role, while Tony Shalhoub is first-rate. Scarlett Johansson is awkward. Richard Jenkins is ever-effective. On the whole, 'The Man Who Wasn't There' scores less on pluses.